People: Russia honors 'The Irony of Fate' star

The Associated Press

Published Sunday, December 28, 2003

MOSCOW (AP) -- A plaque has been unveiled at the site of the filming of "The Irony of Fate," and one of its stars has received a national award at a Kremlin ceremony recognizing his contribution to the movie -- a New Year's tradition in Russia.

Andrei Myagkov received the award from President Vladimir Putin with 48 other cultural, scientific and military leaders who were recognized Thursday for their contributions to Russian society.

Putin called Myagkov the man "with whom we celebrate the New Year for almost 30 years already," ITAR-Tass news agency reported.

Also on Thursday, a plaque was unveiled at the southwestern Moscow site of the 1975 movie's filming, ITAR-Tass reported.

"I am very happy to say that the film has turned into a relic admired by the whole nation," director Eldar Ryazanov said at the ceremony.

"The Irony of Fate" is a satire on the legions of identical, drab apartment buildings across the country. A Moscow man drinks himself to oblivion on New Year's Eve in steam baths with his friends and wakes up at an airport in another city. Believing he's still in Moscow, he goes to an apartment complex identical to his own. The story ends with him and the woman who lives in the apartment falling in love.

The tradition of watching the movie has survived the Soviet collapse, and it's still widely viewed every year.

Kingsley learns Farsi

SAN FRANCISCO -- Ben Kingsley stunned his colleagues on the set of "House of Sand and Fog" with how quickly he mastered basic Farsi.

Kingsley, who plays a former Iranian Air Force colonel living in the United States, learned Farsi on the set with help from a Farsi dialect coach as the cameras were rolling.

"I love doing anything in a different language. I find it very empowering," the 59-year-old actor told the San Francisco Chronicle. "I probably learned 50 to 100 percent more (Farsi) than was necessary. There was editing and shrinking down of the Farsi scenes."

Iranian actress Shohreh Aghdashloo, who plays Kingsley's wife in the film, says she was surprised by his ability to learn the language. "He's really good at it," says Aghdashloo, who was born and raised in Iran but now lives in Los Angeles. "He's a great actor."

Kingsley won an Oscar for his portrayal of Mahatma Gandhi in 1982's "Gandhi."